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Igneous Mount Geology and Structure Taylor Volcanic

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Igneous Mount Geology and Structure Taylor Volcanic If you have no further use for this report after it has served your purpose, please return it to the Geological Survey, using the official mailing label at the end. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR IGNEOUS GEOLOGY AND STRUCTURE OF THE MOUNT TAYLOR VOLCANIC FIELD NEW MEXICO GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 189— B IGNEOUS GEOLOGY AND STRUCTURE OF THE MOUNT TAYLOR VOLCANIC FIELD, NEW MEXICO By CHARLES B. HUNT ABSTKACT in the Basin and Range part of the field preceded the Mount Taylor eruptions also, but after those eruptions there was renewed The Mount Tftylor volcanic field is situated in northwestern minor folding and faulting in the McCarty syncline, minor New Mexico and embraces a part of the south flank of the San faulting in the gently warped area east of the syneline, and Juan Basin and the adjoining part of the block-faulted Rio continued faulting in the eastern part of the volcanic field- The Grande Valley. Most of the volcanic field is in the Colorado faulting in this part of the area continued during the deposition Plateau province, but the eastern part is in the Basin and Range of the Santa Fe formation and some deposits that are probably province. The boundary between the two provinces is clearly marked topographically and geologically. A variety of land younger than the Santa Fe. forms and several different types of drainage patterns represented INTRODUCTION in the area are due to differences in resistance and structural attitude of the rocks. LOCATION OF THE AREA The sedimentary rocks in the field consist chiefly of Upper Cretaceous sandstone and shale, the Santa Fe formation of late The Mount Taylor volcanic field, named from Mount Miocene and Pliocene age, and some younger deposits of probable Taylor, its largest volcano and most conspicuous topo­ Pleistocene age; also small areas of the Morrison formation, of graphic feature, includes an area of about 2,000 scuare Upper Jurassic age. Volcanic rocks were erupted at different miles in northwestern New Mexico midway between times in this area. Probably the first eruptions were those of the Mount Taylor volcano, in Miocene time, which began with Albuquerque and Gallup. The area lies north of th« rhyolitic tuffs and trachyte, continued with a series of latites, valley of the Rio San Jose. This valley is used by the and concluded with porphyritic andesite. The tuffs, trachyte, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and United and latites apparently came from a central pipe and crater in States Highway 66 for their approach to the Conti­ Mount Taylor, but the porphyritic andesite was erupted mostly nental Divide, which crosses the northwest corner cf the from fissures radiating from the pipe. The tuff and lava erupted by Mount Taylor accumulated in a cone whose top has been volcanic field. (See fig. 3.) considerably lowered by erosion. The cone is estimated to have From the village of Grant, 15 miles southwest of included originally at least 12^ cubic miles of the eruptives. Mount Taylor, the western and southwestern parts of The Mount Taylor eruptions were followed, probably in the volcanic field are easily accessible. A Forest Serv­ Pliocene time, by a large number of basalt sheets erupted by small ice road from Grant extends within 4 miles of Mount volcanoes distributed around Mount Taylor. These sheets of basalt were erupted on erosion surfaces cut around the Mount Taylor Peak. A graded road, not fully shown on Taylor cone. A few of the sheets preceded the latest flows of plate 7, leads from Grant to San Mateo, whence other porphyritic andesite from Mount Taylor, and one preceded roads lead northward along the west side of Mesa the rhyoliUijj- but most of them were erupted after Mount Taylor Chivato and eastward onto the mesa. Laguna and the had become quiescent. The sheets were supplied by many small Laguna Indian pueblo, south of the field, are the best volcanoes, mostly of the central type, although a few fissure eruptions are knojyn. starting points for visiting the east side of Mount Taylor Since the eruptions streams have cut downward nearly 2,000 and Mesa Chivato. Stage roads lead northward as far feet, and the lava sheets now cap high mesas. On these lava- as Marquez. New Mexico State Highway 6, the most capped mesas the volcanoes are marked by cones of lava and direct road west from Albuquerque, crosses the south­ scoriae. Where the lava has been completely removed the old east corner of the area shown on plate 7. The northern volcanoes are marked by isolated necks. The most conspicuous necks are composed almost entirely of basalt; others include parts of the area can best be reached from San Yfidro, basaltic breccia with the basalt, and still others are mostly on State Highway 44, or from Cabezon, which is con­ basaltic breccia. There is practically no deformation of the nected by a fair road with that highway. country rock adjacent to these intrusions. The breccia is believed to be a nonextruded byproduct of a quiet intrusive PRESENT INVESTIGATION process. Folding has been the predominant type of structural deforma­ The field investigation on which this report is l^sed tion of the rocks in the Colorado Plateau portion of the Mount was begun in 1930, with the assistance of D. A, An­ Taylor volcanic field, but faulting has been the predominant drews, R. W. Brown, and W. S. Pike, Jr. In that year type in the Basin and Range portion. The Mount Taylor the portion of the volcanic field north and northwest of eruptions jferb preceded by regional northward tilting, by folding of 'the McCarty syncline, and by folding and associated Mesa Chivato and also a strip about 10 miles wide along faulting west of the syncline and gentle warping east of the the east side of the mesa, including the many volcanic syncline. Probably moist of the displacement along the faults necks, were mapped, In 1931 the field investigation 150009—38 51 52 SHORTER CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY, 1937 was resumed with the assistance of H. R. Joesting, determinations. During these two seasons several trips R. C. Becker, J. W. Wyckoff, and G. F. Taylor; the were made into the flanks of the Mount Taylor volcano, country along the south side of Mount Taylor and east but only very general relations were noted. The nu­ of the mountain as far as the eastern border of the Upper merous volcanic necks northeast of Mount Taylor were Cretaceous formations was mapped. examined more carefully in connection with the detailed The field investigations of 1930 and 1931 formed a mapping. part of ths Geological Survey's regular program of sur- Returning in 1932, I was able to spend 3 weeks JD = ^Sandia I fV!t/s / AMiguerque/ FIGUBE 3.—Index map of New Mexico showing the location of the Mount Taylor volcanic field (stippled) and the approximate boundaries of the physiographic provinces. veys for the claszification of public lands with reference in studying the Mount Taylor volcano and the later to fuel and other mineral resources. The energies of the eruptives immediately surrounding it. I iring this field parties were therefore confined mostly to the map­ study sketch maps were made of the field relations, and ping of the sedimentary rocks. The mapping was done another week was spent hi obtaining additional infor­ by plane-table methods on a scale of 1:62,500 and con­ mation on the volcanic necks east of Mesa Chivato. sisted of careful lateral tracing of formation boundaries The present report therefore includes the results of and carrying altitudes on these horizons for structural both detailed and reconnaissance studies, and in the CONTENTS Page Abstract.... __________ ______-_______________________________________________-__--___----____-.-.---_.--_-------- 51 Introducticjtr^v- ___--____________________________________________________________-_-__----___------_-----__----- 51 Location of the area__-____________________________________________________________---___-----_---_---_----- 51 Present investigation---__________-_________-_________________-________________-__----__-_---------_-__---.-- 51 Previous investigations._____________________________________________________-_--_-----_-------------__----- 53 Geography— ———— ____________________________________________________-___-_--__-- — ———————— __--—— 54 Geomorphic location-____________-________________________________________.._______-----__-------------_----- 54 Land forms._______________________________________________________________________________________________ 54 Drainage _________________..___________________________________________________--_---__-------_-----_-.----- 55 Climate and vegetation______________________!_____________________________________-_-___---_-_--_----_----- 56 Summary o,f the late Tertiary and Quaternary history_____________________________________---___---------___--.----- 56 Chronology of events.--______-_________________________________________--__------_--------------~---------- 56 Age alignments.__________________________________________________________________________________________ 56 Volcanic activity_______________________________________________________________________________________________ 57 General chronology._______________________________________________________-______---____-----_----_-_----- 57 The Mount Taylor volcano______________________________________.._________________-_-_-_-----------__-----_ 58 Rhyolitic tuff.___________________________________„______________-_---_-__---_--------------- 58 Trachyte--__________.______________._______________________________________ 60 Latite series.
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